Dream Seekers
by mask-chan
Summary: A AU Fantasy story involving Robin and Amon. Written like a Fairytale (like Stardust by Neil Gaiman). Slight spoilers from the series


Note: This is the 'revised' version of Chapter 1. Enjoy reading. ^_^  
  
Once there was a king who ruled a land. A land unlike our own for in it were things that were only heard of in fairy tales, things that were of shadow and of magical archaic delight. Indeed, Magic was a familiarity and so were the resonance of fairies and their twinkling wings as well as other creatures unheard of. The king was benevolent and fair and he bore the kingdom three daughters but no sons. The oldest of them had sea-blue eyes that were as deep as the ocean and hair the shade of golden blond. Rosella was her name, and she was betrothed to Edgar who was tall, pleasant and of the right stature to marry her, being the prince of a neighboring country. The second, Raquel had skin that was darkest of all the sisters but hair as pale as the early morning dew. Many suitors did she have and so many hearts did she break. The third is where the story really begins, for she... was a Dream Seeker.  
  
The youngest daughter did not share the same mother as her sisters. Their mother, the Queen, had fallen to an unknown illness when Raquel's age was no more than four moons, breathing her last on a still autumn day. A year passed, taking with it a measure of the King's sadness. Then on a cold winter's night, a woman arrived at the castle gates; a beautiful woman, cold, wet, and so very lost. Her name was Maria. The King in all his kindness took her in, and his heart, healing from his Queen's death, fell in love. Despite knowing naught of her past, he knew of his love and the strength of it and they were married. Two years afterwards, she bore him a daughter. However Maria was weak during childbirth, and she struggled to deliver the child. The mid-wife had wanted to kill the babe as the alchemist gave her potions while the enchanters chanted their spells. Maria bravely refused all and called the babe 'her hope'. Soon, everyone but the king had their hopes entirely spent. Maria knew she was dying as she delivered the child feeling life and its moments slipping away. With great difficulty she clutched the King's hand and gave him a necklace while whispering the word "Robin". Her face was brimming with tears but so were the king's. The king never married again. The years eventually passed by and the babe called Robin grew up into a woman. Her skin was white. So white it was the color of snow by moonlight and her face was nestled by long brown tawny hair. She had eyes that were of a paler green, distant and aloof. She was easily the most fairest of all sisters and had a grace matched by none, yet the King cursed her; blaming her for Maria's death. It hung like a shadow over her and she grew up to be an insecure, quiet and depressed child. Robin never once called him Father. On most days, she was mostly seen with long covered dresses in dull colors such as black, grey and the darkest shades of greens and blues. The only color to her somberness was her mother's necklace, which she wore everyday. It was a red jewel encased in metal, forged by fire and bounded by the magic of runes. Robin had a strange gift that made the King resent the child even more. When she was ten, things would catch fire around her without reason. By twelve, she could set things on fire using just a gesture of her hands or sometimes even by her own will. The viziers and those old, wise dreamers of the king try as they may, could not find a 'cure' for the king's daughter. It was these events that led the King to proclaim that his daughter never be allowed outside the castle. As for the village folk, they would be told that his youngest daughter was simply just a sickly child.  
  
Many years soon passed and Prince Edgar was visiting the castle which was the cause of much celebration. Save for Robin; she saw no meaning for celebration; the court and its affairs concerned her naught, and she remained in her tower, detached as it was. Darkness soon arrived and she tried to sleep but her body refused, tossing and turning. As the evening passed, she felt even more restless. Sometimes she felt a presence. It was a foreign yet familiar presence, and sometimes she caught a glimpse of it somewhere in the walls, in the shadows and especially in her dreams. Blank canvasses made up her dreams and she could hardly remember them except that the presence invaded all of them. A seeker of dreams she called herself as she wanted to seek this presence in them, confront it and face it but she failed. Tonight though, she somehow felt that she was alone. Robin felt the sudden urge to leave, even if for a few hours: leave behind the servants who feared her, leave behind her judgmental sisters and leave behind the King who scorned her every action. She quickly donned her blood red robe... and left. Robin treaded slowly from the tower and escaped into the woods leaving the sounds of those celebrating in the great hall behind her. She treaded softly along the pathway that dipped into rocks, shrubs, trees and bushes. The moon in its heaven shone upon her far into the night, like a distant memory. She clutched her necklace tightly as she went further in, for the trees had a dark and hard edge to them and her heart pounded a little faster. She felt a very soft tingling on her skin and she felt less afraid. It was her mother or at least her essence in the necklace and Robin knew that. It glowed softly or so she imagined it to be. One thing must be known though, she never felt safe because of her power, in fact she feared it...  
  
And that was when she saw him, among a groove of knotted trees. He laid very still and quiet on the ground like a still autumn leaf. She approached him but there a still foulness in the air and she heard the snapping of a twig. Alarmed, her fists clenched, digging into the flesh till they were very nearly white. She turned away from him, to face the sound. And as she peered through the darkness she vaguely noticed a hissing crouching figure. Darkness proved to be her enemy as well. "Imuldril ne feron? Uk hanu ni Stanj bara-duk!" the figure muttered in a male harsh, and hoarse voice. She could make no sound for a reply as she knew naught what he had spoken. She cowered when his bellow made the sky ripple and crack, and yet she did not back away.  
  
"A human indeed has crawled into Zai's lair. A human indeed who's flesh is juicy sweet, juicy sweet and nectar ripe. A human will be Zai's dinner tonight." Zai bellowed again, and lunged out after her. The trees and their branches made cuts into her arms as she stepped back. He roared once again, and she fell. She got up without delay and the roots beneath her humped under her feet as she ran. She fell a second time. Zai crawled on top of her, his fangs glistening in the moonlight, and his eyes had a yellow shade to them and a strange madness. He was swifter then she and she knew that. Despair had overcome her like a sinking hole of nothingness and she closed her eyes. It was then that her necklace glowed with brilliance like none she had seen before blinding Zai but not her, and there was a terrible cry from the creature which resonated in the forest. The creature drew back in pain and snarled.  
  
"How can there be a Witchi Amulet protecting you?!" Zai made a second lunge, attempting to rip the necklace away. She stood there afraid but at the same time a certain braveness swept over her like none before. She tried to leap towards the side but tripped over his body. As shook her head and try to focus, the figure was beginning to shadow and blur away.  
  
"Now! Now is the time, whether you work ruin or great good. This is the beginning of things. This is the only way to save yourself!" It sounded as it was coming from him. Survive she must as she was a Dream Seeker and dreams that were left unattained weren't dreams to begin with. She waved her hands frantically unsure of what was to come. Everything went from black to a sudden burst of red like the color of a bloodshot dawn and it dazzled her eyes. A stench of charred flesh began to defile the air. She could hear cursing in a voice so tormented with pain that it was inexpressible. Zai's body was like a strange flicker in the cool forest night, slowly but steadily burning away. Robin was trembling wildly, as though something were shaking and hammering at her skin from within. Her eyes widened and her face paled into the darkness. There was a halo of ash on the ground like a dim remainder of the events before. Time soon passed and even the moon ran a little of her course; but she remained just as before, trembling.  
  
Robin jerked her hand backwards and suddenly felt his face. It was pale as it was nearly white but was stained with blood so red it looked so pure. His clothes were torn and tattered by what appeared to be claw marks. She couldn't make them out except that it was a shirt of foreign design and long black pants. There was more shredded cloth beside him, remnants of his jacket perhaps. He was almost certainly the one that Zai had faced before her. She knelt beside him and swept his long black hair from his forehead that was as cold as those who are dead.  
  
"He is still breathing... but barely" she said to herself, her voice faltering slightly. As she touched his wrist to feel for a pulse, she felt a shock; a pulsing sensation that caused her to shiver even though she knew not who he was (if he were human). She had heard stories from the servants that other then fairies, leprechauns and elves; there were people who lived among them in darkness and they were called the 'Witchi'. In the old tongue it was loosely translated as 'creatures of the night'. Zai was one of them as they were pale and thin and had a certain ethereal or demon like quality to them. She paused for a moment, a frown etched on her face. Then she dragged him back with much strength to the castle. She continued to drag him into the castle's courtyard, slowly for she lack the strength and fatigued crept over her. He was oddly still asleep. She heaved him one last time up the stairs and finally into the room. She could see two or three sallow stars and the faint distance of light as she lifted his body onto her bed. Dawn was upon them. Relieved by the absence of weight, she slumped to the side of the bed, pools of sweat dripping down before falling asleep.  
  
"Can you draw the curtains?" Robin woke up with a jerk as she heard his voice; it was low and smooth but strained and tired sounding. She wobbled her head a bit as her eyes adjusted to the light before she nodded and proceeded to draw the curtains. As she was drawing the curtains, she heard a noise from the bed; it was the sound of ripping cloth. She turned to face him and saw his face this time a little clearer from the night before but still cloudy as the room was dark. His facial structure was narrowly elongated, sharp and the eyes shifty, nearly slit like. He was handsome according to human standards, and his mouth was stern yet it had a sensuous quality. It was currently in a pout like scowl, and just like all creatures of the night, his skin was that of porcelain color and texture. She remembered touching his forehead the night before and feeling it to be just as cold. She wondered if his heart was as cold too. Robin felt herself being closely watched.  
  
"Why did you save me?" "I could not leave you there." She wondered. Were not all the 'Witchi' afraid of the sun? Why was he still in her room? She then noticed that the sheets were stained red, very stained with red.  
  
"Are you injured?" He didn't answer her but she knew. She lifted the sheets and saw that his leg was grotesquely injured with scratch marks and his ankle was twisted and perhaps even broken. It was loosely wrapped by what appeared to be a torn part of his shirt.  
  
"Your leg is injured." He just grunted. It seemed as if his pride was hurt by such a statement. She ran to the cabinets to get fresh bandages and some water to clean his wound. He never flinched or acknowledged any pain while she rubbed some medicinal salt onto the wound and he sat very still as she bandaged his leg. If he was grateful, it never showed on his face.  
  
"I must wait till sun down..." He seemed to have answered her question without the need for her to ask it.  
  
"I see. Do you require any food or drink?" He didn't answer, and they just sat quietly in the room. She soon broke the silence  
  
"Who are you?"  
"I am Amon"  
"And what are you?" her head cocked to one side as she observed him carefully.  
"The answer is something you know" She paused. His answers were twisted and he appeared to be as crafty as his eyes make him out to be.  
  
"You seem familiar somehow. Have we met?" He had a faint smile on his face as he answered  
  
"Many times." Robin was very confused by his answer. If she had met him, indeed she would at least have remembered him for he was of course, not human; and one tends to remember things that are unfamiliar rather then familiar.  
"Robin" She flinched; he knew her name even though she had never revealed it to him.  
  
"How di..?"  
"Hush now..." His voice suddenly had a strange soothing quality to it now. It was as if she had heard its tone many times before.  
  
"There is danger surrounding you Robin for there are some who are after you though you may not know it. Many of them enter the castle as servants, as gardeners, and even sully maids."  
"Why are they after me?"  
"Because you are Maria's hope. The necklace is proof" Robin flinched again as she clutched her necklace, he knew her mother or at least her name.  
  
"Why is that of any importance?" And he paused briefly.  
  
"Maria was a Witchi" She was taken aback by his statement. Her mother was a Witchi? How was it that she met the King? Her head was filled with even more questions then answers.  
  
"I do not understand" she finally said  
"She disappeared many winters ago. It was the same winter that the Witchi Hunters called the Stanj came. We could not find her as hard as we looked and we heard that she was living among the humans. Our own ruler having heard this exiled her, even though he was her father." His milieu had a slight trace of pain in them. Robin felt a cold shiver as she clamped her hand tightly on the chair. Amon looked at her but his eyes were filled with a strange sense of comfort.  
  
"The Stanj, are they after me?"  
"I believe so..."  
"Why? I am human." He corrected her, "Half human"  
"But still... I am no threat, I do not live among the Witchi or the Stanj. They are a people that are only fairytales to me. Though I have to admit now they are more." And he chuckled a bit, his quiet laughter twinkling in the air. "But see how easy it was for you to kill a Stanj." She shuddered as she remembered the events of the night before.  
  
"Why do you tell me this?"  
"Because I am your protector. It has been that way since you were born." And with that revelation certain events that happened in her life made sense to her. How she felt a presence, how she felt protected most of the time, and when she reflected; it was him all the time she saw. He was the one she had been seeking all this time. He was what drove her to be a Dream Seeker.  
  
"There is a choice to be made, Robin. To save yourself, you may join the Witchi in our fight against the Stanj. There protection will not only be given by me but by my people. Or you may stay here; away from us, away from the Stanj. But in doing so I cannot guarantee that I can protect you always, as I had done before."  
"Why is that?"  
"War is upon the Witchi whether they accept this dire truth or not. The Stanj are at the borders of our land and are growing stronger and bolder as we speak. Because of this, I must join them." He paused for a moment, then his eyes narrowed and his voice became grave and serious.  
  
"If you follow me, there is no returning to the life that you know now." She paused for a moment trying to fathom the very idea of who her mother really was while Amon gazed out the window watching dusk settle upon them.  
  
"The sun is down, I can remain here no longer for I have stayed over long... So what say you?" As he got up, he felt a slight tug. It was Robin. He stared at her, looking into her eyes and observing them. He could not find the aloofness or distance she had before instead they were replaced with a feeling he could not name.  
"I am a Dream Seeker Amon, you of all should know that." And he smiled.  
  
The sun and her last rays were curving off into the horizon . It made Robin melancholic to observe them, slightly though as they signified a dying day and the twilight of a new existence. 


End file.
